Description:

The 31st running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon takes places in January 2015 in Duluth Minnesota. This historic dog sled race from Duluth up the North Shore and back is in honor of John Beargrease and his brothers who transported mail on the North Shore for almost twenty years between 1879 and 1899.

There are many events that take place during this celebration including a gala and silent auction on Friday, January 23rd. If you are a dog lover you will enjoy the Cutest Puppy Contest on Saturday, January 24th at Fitger’s Brewery Complex. Opening ceremonies and the bib draw are at The Depot Great Hall and a photographer’s show at the Great Lakes Aquarium on Saturday. Preparations are underway for the race to begin at East High School (just minutes from our Inn) on Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. With the amount of snow Duluth has recently received, we’re confident there will be plenty of packed snow for the sled dogs to begin their race in town.

There’s an opportunity on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. to meet the mushers and pet the dogs before the race begins and there’s always plenty of clapping and cheering as each musher begins their trek of the race. The weather always plays a factor in this historic sled dog race and the mushers and their dogs train long and hard. We often meet the mushers on the North Shore Trail as we snowmobile early in January and we always stop to watch the dogs and wave to the musher as they work their way through the beautiful snowy wilderness.